Dr. Mark Hyman: Here’s How the Food Pyramid Should Look – EcoWatch

The Food Pyramid may be the single worst thing to happen to health in America. As Dr. Mark Hyman explains,

At the base of the pyramid were carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates like breads, pasta, rice and cereals, of which we were told to eat six to 11 servings a day.

These carbohydrates break down to sugar, which gets stored in your body as fat. In addition to the 152 pounds of sugar we eat every year, we’re getting 146 pounds of flour that also breaks down into sugar. Altogether, that’s nearly a pound of sugar and flour combined for every American, every day! That’s a pharmacologic dose of sugar.

We were also told told to cut out as much fat as possible, including healthy fats. But our bodies and our brains require fat to function properly. And, instead of going for foods that are naturally low in fats, people went straight for the low-fat and “fat-free” substitutes that food manufacturers were more than happy to supply.

And what’s wrong with low fat and fat free versions? Well, for starters, they have to replace the fat with something to maintain texture and flavor. Those replacements are typical sugar, salt, and other additives that you don’t want in your food.